The Doctor Is In
by Chicken Yuki
Summary: Four potentiel brides of Harvest Moon: Magical Melody have instead set their sites on the handsome doctor of Flower Bud Village, and his one true love interest is oblivious! Why should Jack be the only HM pimp?
1. Daily Checkup

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody

The Doctor Is In

Prologue

In a prosperous home of 3-2 Flower Bud Lane, an earnest farmer and his compassionate wife are getting ready to start the day to go about their business in their red roof home. The young man in blue overalls is gathering his inventory, while the cheerful young woman with pink hair and a dark blue country dress is feeding the family dog and pig a nice meal. They manage to go about their daily routine, despite the loud ruckus heard from outside.

"Jack, Darling, are you almost ready?", the wife called out.

"Oh, sure Lyla! I already got the Pumpkin Soup from the kitchen, and right now I'm just gathering my tools!", the farmer called out.

In record time, the piggy finished its meal in satisfaction. Lyla chuckled and pet it happy. "That's right, Gullinbursti, just finish it up! You need your food to keep you going throughout the day!". She then turned to the dog, steadily chowing down on its own meal. "That's okay, just take your time, Etchel. It'll be fine as long as you finish your meal...".

With the last few moments, Jack put all the tools he needs in his rucksack, then quickly grabs an object from the shelf.

"Al right. Lyla, I'll be taking off now!", Jack announced.

"Where are you going today, darling?" Lyla asked.

"Well... after I finish tending the animals, I'm going to do some mining for ponata root, and also go foraging in the mountains. I'm planning on gathering at least a week's worth. The Doctor tries to gather what he can on his off-time, but I can tell he needs all the help he can get gathering medicinal herbs. The poor guy works hard enough at the office already, and it can be very stressful, even with the help...", Jack explained.

"Oh, that's right! You and Doctor Alex moved in around the same time, right? Yes, I can see you two are really good friends. Well, it's nice to know you had someone to talk to when you first got here", Lyla answered. "It was a little rough for me when I was new. My old home a bit far from the village, and I would always wake up with no one to greet me. And, even when I finally set up shop at Flower Bud Village, Hearily Lyla was still away's off from the Square, so I would have to wait a few hours before someone finally greet me. I still remember when you would always come in an hour before I had to close. You were always out of breath, but still ready to hold a conversation".

Lyla chuckled, while Jack blushed and laughed.

"That's because I ended up sprinting to her place at the end of the day", Jack thought to himself, "There was too much to do, and my tools weren't as good back then... I was thankful Carl opened that cafe of his when he did. I was afraid I'd pass out before making it to the gift shop! ...if only I had known you adored Pinkcat flowers... I would've given her

more of those than those blueberries... at least those still made her smile...".

While Jack tried to approach Lyla for one last moment, the pink-haired lady finally turned her attention to the noise outside. "I've managed to put it out of my mind for awhile, but... what is that noise?".

Jack listened carefully for the noise as well, although he didn't need to concentrate so much to catch it. He then fell on his but and sighed.

"W-what?", Lyla reacted.

"That... "noise" sounds awfully familiar", Jack groaned.

"Really?", Lyla responded, "but I've never heard anything like that before".

"That's because... you've never been to Cafe Callaway before", Jack answered frankly," but... it sounds far too close by to be coming from there".

The married couple looked at an open window, noticing a commotion from the hospital.

"What's going on there? Is there an emergency? Is someone ill?", Lyla asked her husband.

Jack merely lowered his head in disgust. "I have a feeling I know what's going on there... I should probably help the Doc as soon as possible, but I should still stick to my schedule. There's only so many hours in the daytime, and I can't afford to waste them recklessly. Besides, I'm sure good ol' Auzzie can handle himself in the meantime".

"But... but... darling, this looks serious!" Lyla exclaimed.

Jack chuckled nervously. "He'll... be...fine. I'm sure", he calmly explained. "Here you go. I hope calms you down". He then gave his lovely wife the object from the shelf, which turned out to be a Pinkcat flower.

"Oh...okay", Lyla simply stood there blushing, staring at her husband as he took off for work

Chapter 1

Meanwhile, at the hospital, an irate, childish woman is relieving her

stress right next to the calm, yet rather stressed working doctor in white. She wore a fancy, although girly-looking frilly black dress. Her red locks were styled in curls, which even more so enhanced her childish appearance.

The doctor himself had nice head of black hair, with a notably handsome face to boot. With his composed, unflinching gaze, he was easily the type to catch the attention of any girl, although he himself is unaware of this.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MAN! UGGHH! THAT CARL MAKES ME SOOOOOOOOO MAAAADDDDDD!" yelled the angry girl.

"Katie, can you please calm down just for a minute? I'm trying to make some Potion for emergency purposes... it's the only thing that seems to wake people up whenever someone passes out in the village, and I'd like the keep some quick relief in hand whenever possible", the Doctor politely asked.

"WEELLLLLL, IF CARL EVER WORKS HIMSELF TO DEATH, DON'T EVEN BOTHER HELPING HIM! HE'S A JERK! A CRUEL JERK! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO GET BETTER!", she exclaimed.

Dr. Alex sighed. "Well, I'm sorry that your boss has continually offended your sensitive emotions, but I suppose I should inquire... .what exactly are you doing here anyway?".

Katie suddenly calmed down and made a sad, pouty baby face. You see...", she started off, "it's because you're the only one in this entire village who'll actually listen to me!", she confessed, "That stupid Carl never appreciates my ideas! He's always turning them down without a second thought, saying "You should consider the taste of the desert much more so than the appearance", or "that Cayenne will ruin the flavor!", or "that's way too many eggs!", or something equally annoying! Then there's the farmer Jack, who always makes it his mission to stay away from me whenever I try to talk to him! And that creepy guy Joe, who always watches me from the corner! I think he's a stalker! ...sure... Ellen always tries to strike a conversation with me, but I have a feeling she's secretly afraid of me like Jack!".

While Katie rambles on with her complains, Dr. Alex casually continues his work on making Potion.

"but still... that stupid Carl... THAT STUPID CARL... my "so-called" boss... IS ALWAYS THE WORST OF THEM ALL! CRITIZING ME EVERY TIME!", she yelled. "I'm surprised the Cafe is doing so well, relying solely on HIS cooking! I mean, in reality, he wouldn't cooking if a cookbook smacked him in the head! I deserve to be in charge! I bet we'd get more customers if I were the head chef! Not Carl!".

Dr. Alex then slowly turns his head to face the crazed beast. "... Katie, could it be that you're actually frustrated because there's chance you actually might have feelings for him, and that he seems to refuse to acknowledge the efforts you make to help the Cafe?", he calmly guesses.

Katie's face becomes sad and pouty again. "Now why would you see that?", she asked in a soft tone. "Doesn't the time we spend together like this mean anything to you?".

Slowly and steadily, Katie inches closer to Dr, Alex's body and tries to make a move. Dr. Alex abruptly stops his procedure, then casually avoids Katie's maneuver just by walking away.

"I apologize, Katie, but it looks like my time here is up for now. If you can excuse me, I must go check up on Miss Dia". He then heads out the door with some medicine and medical instruments in hand.

"What? But we haven't finished talking yet here! DOCTOR!". Katie stood hesitantly at first, but then she makes a mad dash towards the door a second later. Her hesitance is then immediately rewarded with a door slam right in front of her face. Katie flails her arms around in a panic.

"Curse that Dia girl!", Katie thinks to herself. "If she didn't have to hang around in Flower Bud Village... I would most certainly have the doctor all for myself! Her illness is getting in the way of my happiness! I won't stand for this! I won't!"

Katie then clenched both her fists and took in a deep breath. "DOOOOCCCCTTTTEEEERRRRRRR!". Her eerie wail could be heard throughout the entire village.

Undaunted, the dedicated Doctor heads next door to the sanatorium, currently in the care of his assistant, Gina.

The light blue hair, glasses wearing nurse graciously welcomed the doctor with great respect. Her braids draped to the side, giving an unusual, though somehow effectively cute appearance. "Good Morning, Doctor. You should be pleased to know that everything is in top shape. The utensils are perfectly polished and I've done everything I can to ensure Miss Dia's health is taken care of".

Dr. Alex looks a little flushed at first, and then he takes some time to look around the room.

"Ah, ahem... yes... the first floor looks perfectly clean as usual... uh... keep up the good work". Dr. Alex muttered to himself a little, and then he steadily slowly walked upstairs with Gina already making her way back to the top floor.

Upstairs, Dia was resting comfortably on a chair in a fine looking green dress. Her shoulder-length black hair curved outward at the end, and was crowned with a yellow hair band. She greyish eyes had a rather wistful expression to them, expression emotion nearly as vague and controlled as Dr. Alex himself, however, a hint of loneliness somehow shone.

"Dia, the Doctor is here again! Please be on your best behavior and cooperate with him!", Gina shouted to her childhood friend as she walked up the stairs along with the Doctor.

"Understood, thank you", Dia said in a soft voice, which managed to be loud enough to be heard downstairs. She silently nodded to herself as she acknowledged the doctor's arrival.

The reputed Princess of Flower Bud Village usually kept much about her life and thoughts to herself. In fact, the only two people she has been able to saying anything about such things were her childhood friend, Gina, and the earnest and hardworking Jack, who managed to earn her trust and become a new confidant. However, out of every person in Flower Bud village, the one person that made her most nervous was Dr. Alex. It wasn't that she was deathly afraid of his presence like some reoccurring nightmare. Actually, it was quite the opposite. Ever since her first checkup, Dia immediately fell for him. It was bad enough that she was quite shy to begin with, but she also noticed the way that the one she loved so dearly always looked at his diligent nurse, and her most trusted friend. It was a tough position for her to be in for sure, but it proved some convenience that Gina could never notice Alex's feelings for her. Nonetheless, Dia's conscious continually told her to help her friend see the truth, over achieving an ideal romance. She owes her much, and he would prefer to see the two of them happy or another's sadness any day.

Gina came up first with her warm smile. "I'm sorry to have to leave two you alone for a while, but I've got a few errands to run. I'm sure you'll be find for the moment, just please try to relax".

Dia looked a little anxious for a moment. "Relax? But... but you know how exactly I feel when he's around... it's much too hard for me to relax without you around! Besides... why can't you understand... the way he is around you?".

Gina laughed nervously. "Around me? The Doctor can be overcritical with me sometimes, but I'm sure he trusts me all the same. We've been working at this together for a long time now, so we understand our work relationship. But for him to actually like me in THAT way? That can't be possible! Anything beyond a bond of friendship between us strictly profession-related! Besides, it must be your anxiety that must be acting up! Maybe... if you can gather the courage to tell him one day, you wouldn't feel so doubtful about this kind of thing and gather these sort of assumptions", she assured.

Dia sighed. "I'm... serious, though. Don't you ever see him turn red whenever he looks at you as well? Is it that you fool yourself into thinking he's simply tired, or burning out from work?". She then paused for a moment, feeling like she's sounded too harsh and forceful again. She continued in a softer tone, "Have you ever once considered wondering... if you had feelings for him?".

Gina shrugged. "Honestly, Dia. I don't feel there is anything between the two of us regarding a relationship on love. It feels out of the question in my mind. Besides, I feel like he has a bunch of things in his mind other than romance when he's with me. He's always complementing me on my work, but he never made any sweet gestures or anything like that. He's always such the workaholic!", she sighed.

"But... but...", Dia uttered in her attempt to communicate further to her friend.

"Just relax!", Gina giggled, "you don't have to tell him right away! Just wait for the right moment, and it'll at work out! In the mean time, have fun with the checkup!". And with that, Gina headed toward the stairs with the Doctor finally making it

"Goodbye, Dia!", Gina called out. She waved her hands to her old friend one more time before she made her way downstairs and out of the sanatorium.

This left Dia alone with the Doctor in uncomfortable silence.

She sighed to herself again, concerned about what her dear friend constantly fails to notice. She took a look at the cool and collected doctor, whom she can deeply emphasize with.

Dia had a lot on her mind. "Gina... I know he seems awfully professional around you most of the time, but he's actually struggling to find the words he really wants to tell you, just like I'm having a hard time trying to tell him how I feel.", she thought to herself. "As much as it hurts me... I honestly wish you would take some time to know what he's really going through. It pains me to see how anxious he gets when you keep your distance like that. He must think... you're not even interested at all".

In his usual calm manner, Dr. Alex approached his patient with stethoscope in hand. "Now then, are you ready for your checkup?", he asked calmly.

Dia simply nodded in response, but her face started reddening.

Wasting no time, Dr. Alex went on with his usual routine with his daily patient.


	2. Pheromone Epidemic

Chapter 2

Although it was her day off, Maria the Librarian spent the morning getting some books from the library. Memorizing the shelves quite well, she was able to find exactly what she needed. She then locked up, with some books on herbs and medicine on hand.

Maria would be best described as a humble beauty. Her prim, gray dress with matching loafers don't quite stand out. She also wore some black stockings and a white hair band atop her long blue hair. Her casual smile was quite cute, but again, it didn't quite shake off an impression of blandness.

Still, her calm, dutiful demeanor perfectly complemented her extraordinary sense of responsibility. She always tried her best to be in an orderly fashion with whatever she does, and all of this has made her a very dependable figure in Flower Bud Village. She also had some artistic thought, as she would occasionally recite scenic imagery to those who would listen. It may very well be that artistic sense that would make her stand out among the rest.

The dutiful Librarian then headed towards the clinic, by request of the respected Doctor Alex due to his busy schedule which keeps him from being able to check out the best books possible for his profession.

"Ah yes, our dear Doctor Alex, the constant caretaker of the village. I remember how he strongly insisted upon this important delivery with his time constraints. It's such a shame how busy he is, but it is an expected aspect of his job, I suppose," she noted to herself.

Suddenly, a deep feeling of regret flooded through her. "Yes, it really is a shame that couldn't stay much longer," she uttered aloud in a wistful voice. "All those times were very much enjoyable, I admit. I would express my thoughts about life, nature, and the business that would go on in our quiet village, and he would actually respond, even rebut sometimes with his own views on things. Sure, it would be infuriating at times when we disagreed, but he didn't seem to care when there was the occasional difference. To be honest, I didn't really care either way how it would turn out. We were actually talking together."

The last few words floated about in her head for a while. She found it rare that anyone to would take time to actually listen to her, let alone converse with her while actually being able to follow along.

"He is indeed a respectable intellectual; someone I can talk with; and someone I can always be with."

Suddenly, her heart suddenly raced. Despite how often she's felt this sensation, it somehow always surprised her.

"... yes... and my heart would be like this as well... at times he was near me, but now... it's happening at the mere thought of him. Why...is that?"

The young librarian looked up at the sky with curious longing as she continued to ponder.

From another side of the village, the earnest and compassionate Ellen was on her usual route to bring her delicious homemade treats to some of the busy workers of Flower Bud Village. She had short burnet hair, and wore an apron casually draped over body. Even with her young age, she gave off a picturesque impression of a happy housewife. By coincidence, she too, was heading to the doctor's place.

"All right! The next stop is at the Doctor's! I've got a honey cake to deliver, and some carefully stored vegetable juice, in case he doesn't feel up to having sweets. I know how much he cares about health, so I can't have him malnourished because of diet habbits! Then again, he is a doctor, so he should be understanding, anyway!".

Wherever she went, her presence was always a welcome sight, as she was sure to refresh anyone's spirits with her honest, open personality and her delicious cooking. Some have even gossiped that her warm soul ensured the good quality products because of how she always tended the Blue Sky Ranch's animals.

At Cafe Callaway, Ellen would try to improve her own cooking by learning whatever she could from the professional style by trying out some new desserts and talking with the local head cook, Carl. Whenever she went to Heary Lyla's, she would purchase sweet Jams for some of her more interesting recipes, and also check out some novel merchandise. Finally, there was the doctor's place, where she would make sure to treat any resting patients, as well as the hardworking Doctor himself.

"That poor guy always works himself to death! Even when he's out, he's still working by gathering some herbs for medicine and study! I don't even think he's even really resting on his day off? Does he ever find time to rest? I sure hope he's okay."

Ellen gave a long, deep sigh. No matter where she saw him, he was always working. Although she admired the Doctor's work ethic, it worried her a lot. With her motherly disposition, her concern grew into attachment overtime.

"I rarely ever see him rest. Even when it's night outside, when his place is locked up for the night, I swear that the lights are still on. I've asked Duke if he's ever been to the bar at night, but he never does. I suppose... that could be a good thing, actually... but it could still mean that he isn't relaxing"

Although part of her seems to know that this wasn't true. She's seen him around the village, taking his time to enjoy his surroundings. He seemed more serene, unguarded, during these times. Ellen was actually in awe of this side of him, yet she wasn't sure to believe in this. It could very well be that she's deluding herself into believing that he needs her, that he won't be content without her, and yet she would see these rare ocassions where he would witness nature all by himself, looking perfectly happy.

"… I guess that he's just the independent type, though. I contribute to his work only once every day, and he's managed to do fine without the kind of assistance that can allow him to rest. Yes, he just happens to be that independent kind of person. Those times I've seen him outside … he always looks content, looking at the bounties of nature… by… himself"

And yet, that too, was a lie. Whenever she went into the clinic, she would usually see Gina there, with her humble, yet encouraging attitude, which complemented the Doctor's cool disposition. They seemed content together. Even if they don't express the kind of compassion that a loving couple would openly display, they somehow seemed happy in their quiet, mutual trust. This secretly upset poor Ellen.

"... oh, right... there's Gina... too... well, that's nice. The Doctor has Gina's assistance now as well. The two of them have been doing a fine job together, so, maybe I...".

_Maybe I'm no longer useful to him_, she was about to say to herself, but she was simply too afraid of that thought. She had contributed so much to everybody in her village that such a thought would be too difficult to even think about, especially if it concerned the doctor.

One simple tear dripped from Ellen's tender face, but she quickly cheered up. "h...honey cake for Doctor Alex! That's it! I can't loose focus on my task! I almost completely forgot what why I was going there in the first place! Silly me!"

She gave a cheerful laugh as she finally made it to the clinic's doorstop, only to cross paths with Maria.

"Ellen!"

"Maria!"

Both young women observed each other, feeling a similar radiance.

"My dear Ellen! W-what brings you here!", Maria said, completely startled.

"I'm here to deliver Doctor Alex some cake to eat!", Ellen cried out, "What about you?".

Maria laughed nervously to herself. "My goodness! I'm... sorry this all turned into a scene! Ah... I was just here to drop off some books the Doctor was considering checking out, but didn't have the time to examine. I hope that the Library's resources could become a great help for his research!".

"Phew! Well, that's nice of you! It's good to know you're willing to leave the Library once in awhile to provide Flower Bud Village with a valuable service," Ellen smiled.

Maria looked at Ellen funny. "You... look a little relieved from something. Were you feeling down not too long ago?".

"N-n-no! Don't be ridiculous! I wasn't going depressed or anything like that!", Ellen cried frantically.

"Oh, okay. That's good", Maria responded coolly.

Before the two women could continue their conversation, the door swung open, and Katie stomped her way out of the clinic.

"Excuse me", Katie growled as she was about to make her exit.

"Katie!", Maria and Ellen exclaimed in unison.

Katie then looked up at the other two ladies, completely caught off-guard.

"W-what are YOU doing here? Are you feeling okay?", Ellen asked in a panic.

"I'm... fine!", Katie huffed in frustration.

"Well, that's good to know!" Maria said in as much of a cheerful expression as she could make out. "Are you just leaving now?"

Katie was about to openly express her outrage towards the "insensitive" Doctor who just upped and abandoned her, but something in her gut commanded her to stop. She then managed a smile, and responded, "N-no! Of course not! I'm just trying to get a fresh breath of air now! The Doctor's been so busy at the sanitarium today, so I had to wait here all by myself until he's finished with his business!".

"Okay. Well, is he busy with Gina, or his he checking up on Dia's condition again?", Maria asked curiously.

"It's Dia," Katie groaned. "Gina was here just a minute ago to get some tools, then she left while telling me that she had to do some errands."

"Oh. Well the, thank you for being so informative, then," Maria responded.

Remembering that Doctor Alex had two women he dealt with on a normal basis at his usual quarters disheartened Maria. This information also served to confirm Ellen's worries as well.

"Well then, I should just leave these books on a desk along with a note, so it won't get mixed up with his other encyclopedia's, I guess!', Maria chirped as she approached a nearby desk.

Both Ellen and Katie carefully eyed Maria in an eerie silence. Ellen then looked back at her own delivery for Doctor Alex.

Katie nodded in satisfaction to herself "That's a good idea," Katie said aloud, "I doubt that the good doctor would want any further distractions added to his busy schedule!"

Just then, a burning sensation surged into Maria. She was about to drown out Katie in a fit of angry shouts when Ellen stepped forward.

"I think... I should stay and wait for Doctor Alex," Ellen cried.

Maria and Katie gave Ellen a funny look at that moment.

She then put on her most cheerful smile as she continued, "I think it would be impolite if I were to leave baked goods if he can't accept them. It would be a big waste to let perfectly good food to just rot overtime out of negligence, wouldn't it?"

Katie felt her temper get the best of her, again, and was about to go into her assertive attitude when Maria turned around with books still in hand.

"On second thought," Maria cried out, "I think I should just wait for the Doctor, too!"

Ellen managed to retain her smile, while Katie started fuming.

"I should at least check with the Doctor to make sure that these are the right books he put on hold! It would take up precious amounts of time if he had to return some books to library because I made a mistake! I know I've managed efficient work in all my experience as the Flower Bud Village Librarian, but it is necessary that I check for personal error as well", Maria insisted.

In some desperate attempt to calm herself, Katie went to the nearest seat to rest.

Friendly Ellen approached Katie with caution. "So, will it be okay if we stayed with you for the time being?" she asked.

Katie was about to let Ellen really have it when she felt that it would be a much better idea just to go along with it. "...ah... o... okay! Yes! I understand that you two have very important business as well!"

Katie is usually the straightforward type that lets everyone know exactly how she feels about things; however, when it comes to something as complicated as matters of the heart, she'll become as reserved as she feels is necessary.

"Thank you for understanding!", Ellen cried. She then took a seat for herself as she waited with her precious desserts.

"I'm glad to see you are willing to cooperate with important business", Maria nodded as she took a seat as well. She placed her library books on a nearby table.

Katie looked on with frustration of the situation she just put herself in. "I can't believe this! OOHHHH!" she shouted in her head.

Hours passed, and the Doctor still didn't return. Ellen and Maria continued to wait with the same anxious expression on their faces, while Katie looked like she was about to explode.

In her pent up frustration, Katie started thinking to herself, "I know what they're up to! It's so obvious! Those harpies! They must know that the other girls haven't confessed their feelings to Alex, and they simply chose this day to tell him! I don't know how they found out how I messed up my confession... but I won't let them take Alex away from me! I worked too hard for this day! Too hard! Those nasty witches are far too conceited and selfish to know everything I've ever been through! How Carl never appreciates my cooking! How Jack always heads for the hills at the mere sight of me! How that creepy Joe always stalks me like the loony creep that he is! Alex is the ONLY one who ever listens to me! He's the ONLY one who ever makes me feel comfortable and appreciated!"

Katie took this opportunity to let out one long exhale to relieve some built up stress.

"I'M the only one who TRULY deserves him! ME! HE'S MINE!" she shouted in her head.

While Katie's assertive attitude serves as a sign of strength in this young lady, it also proves to be her major downfall as it is also the basis of her stubbornness. Despite this fault, there are those that would still enjoy her company.

Indeed, Katie does have a few other potential romances that she could always fulfill. Carl has been way more patient with her than what she assumed. He can even symphonize with the fact that she looks much younger than her claimed age. If anything, Carl has probably been one of the nicest villagers to her out of anyone. Then there is Joe, the so-called "stalker". By coincidence, the two have made several encounters in various parts of Flower Bud Village, with Joe being overly gregarious each time. There is also the daily meeting in Cafe Callaway, where Joe appreciated a complementary view of Katie while on his break, and when Jack would come in for his daily cake, Joe always expressed his interest in Katie's assertiveness. Beyond that, Joe never did anything bad enough to warrant sexual harassment, or a stalking charge.

Since Katie failed to notice these potential of these possible bachelors, Katie has focused her efforts on hooking up with Doctor Alex. Considering how high the odds are stacked against her, Katie must be a betting woman to go ahead with her practically hopeless pursuit.

The short tempered girl resumed glaring at the other two women with violent intent in her eyes. The eerie silence bugged her so much, that she felt she had to break it. "Are... you.. two... still... okay... WAITING," she uttered while desperately trying to contain her rage.

Somewhat sedated by anxiousness, the other two women simply nodded silently.

Katie breathed a sigh of relief, but the long wait still tried her patience.

"What's wrong with that man? A simple check up couldn't have taken that long, could it? I've been waiting here with these two since morning, and now it looks like sunrise is approaching! What's going on here!" she shouted in her mind.

She then saw the two women silently sitting at the corner. It bugged her how their sitting posture, expression, and excuse to come over was all too similar. It was especially bothersome that the two accepted their excuses to stay without the kind of resentment she felt about it.

"It's as if those two are conspiring together..." Katie thought to herself. Suddenly, wild thoughts rushed into her consciousness. It overwhelmed her so much that she couldn't take it. She immediately stood up and pointed her finger at the two of them.

"AHA! SO THAT'S WHAT YOUR GAME HAS BEEN THIS ENTIRE TIME!", Katie shouted.

Both women looked at her in confusion.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!" Katie continue. "THE TWO OF YOU PLAN ON HAVING THE DOCTOR TO YOURSELVES, DON'T YOU! YOU FIGURED THAT NEITHER OF YOU STOOD A CHANCE OF HAVING THE DOCTOR WITH COMPETITION LIKE DIA CONSTANTLY AT HIS SIDE, SO YOU BOTH PLOTTED ON SEDUCING HIM WITH SOME TWISTED PROPOSITION OF POLYGAMMY, HUH! WELLLLLL... I FIGURED IT OUT NOW, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'LL BE UP TO ME TO SAVE HIM FROM YOUR DISGUSTING IDEAS!"

Ellen and Maria looked at each other in discomfort. Their faces turned bright red, and they both gulped down hard.

"She... wants him, too!", both young women thought at the exact same time.

"Ashamed that I discovered your little plan, huh?" Katie gloated. "Well, I won't stand let you! I'm going to beat you to the bunch before either you, or Dia can lay a hand on him!".

With that, Katie was about ready storm into the the sanitorium to try once again and confess her love. In a panic, Ellen and Maria made a desperate rush towards the door as well, but they were too late.

The door swung open, with Doctor Alex and Dia outside.

"I... I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time today", Dia bashfully uttered.

"That is fine," Doctor Alex assured "It was the first time that your friend wasn't around to give you support, so you were simply nervous, that's all. You should be happy to know that you'll be just fine for another few months."

The good doctor looked inside to find both Maria and Ellen blushing, along with a very angry Katie.

"Hmm... Ladies, welcome. What brings you here?" Alex calmly asked.

"I... brought the books you asked for," Maria uttered quietly.

Ellen then raised a hand in the air, then Doctor Alex looked at her.

"A-and... and I came here to deliver your daily goods", Ellen stuttered bashfully.

"... H-HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE LIKE THAT!", Katie shouted.

Doctor Alex started feeling uncomfortable with the anxiety that filled the air. He then witnessed the three young ladies' red faces, being concerned and complexed at the same time.

"... this... looks... serious... an epidemic, maybe," The Doctor thought to himself, unsure of his immediate diagnosis Nonetheless, he knew something for sure was wrong.

Silence again took hold of the hapless villagers. Nearly everyone was too stunned to say anything, except for Katie, who was scheming something in her mind.

"Ellen and Maria are THAT close to the Doctor, but they're too nervous to use their charms against him! This is the great! I can confess my love to Alex in front of all of them, including that spoiled princess Dia, and it'll be the perfect blow to their egos! They'll be too late to do anything, and Alex will be all mine! YES!"

Katie was about to move in on her prey, until suddenly...

"Hello everyone! It's nice to see so many people take their health seriously, helping out Doctor Alex like this!" a cheerful voice called out. It was Gina, standing perfectly happy behind the doctor and his patient.

"G...GAH! NO! NOT... HER!" Katie shouted in her head. With all of her planning, she had conveniently neglected the biggest threat to her romance, who was the dedicated nurse that constantly worked at his side. She remembered the two of them had a casual working relationship in the clinic, but this relationship could eventually bloom into something more... something way very undesirable in Katie's situation.

"Maybe... Gina already proposed her love for the Doctor already, and if I simply blurt it out here right now, the rejection will just be that much worse! I'll see the two of them embracing, as Gina mocks me with her laughter... "What makes you think he was ever yours to begin with?" she would say, then the two of them will walk out galliantly into the sunset JUST TO SPITE ME! But no... even with that possibility... there's still a chance... a chance that Alex isn't taken yet... and I must take it! He'll see it my way... I know he will! He's the only one who listens to me, so it's worth it!" Katie desperatley calculated.

In a panic, Dia looked around and felt the pulsing of the other women's hearts matching her own. "No... they love him too... but... but the Doctor wants to be with Gina! I can't let them stand in the way! I won't let them stay in the way! The Doctor wants to be happy, with Gina, but their interference will only bring him despair! Ah... what to do... what to do!" she frantically thought.

Suddenly, a voice from her heart whispered a desperate plan to her.

"...Confess my feelings? But... but why?" Dia was startled by this drastic suggestion Slowly, she understood what this meant.

"It'll be painful... it'll be so painful when he rejects me... it'll hurt so much... but I am his patient after all... it won't be so bad for him when he has to let me down.. and then... he may finally gather some courage... and my intervention will allow him the perfect oportunity do it! He'll be able to tell Gina, and she'll finally understand! Then... then the two of them will finally be happy! Then everything will be okay! Because they'll be happy!" she desperatley thought with a sense of hope.

Dia still felt disoriented by accumulating anxiety she tried to fight off, but she understood what had to be done.

Not to be outdone, Katie frantically rushed towards her beloved Doctor, wanting to be in the best posible position to offer a tender confession.

Dia saw Katie coming closer and panic. Step by step, Katie was fast aproaching, yet Dia hesitated. Everybody else but Katie was in a standstill, and she still urged her herself forward. Dia was afraid how Katie could ruin everything, but she still feared the inevidable pain. Dia was shaking. She was frozen from the worse kind of dread imaginable. She could do nothing.

In the midst of this subtle chaos, a warm voice reached out to Dia.

"Is everybody okay?", Gina asked curiously.

Dia briefly turned to Gina again, then nodded to herself with a resolute look in her face. "For her!", a brave voice cried in her mind.

Out of sheer instinct, Dia tugged at Alex's white coat, and for one shining moment, their eyes met.

"Doctor Alex, I love you!", Dia cried with all her heart.

Everybody looked upon the Princess of Flower Bud Vilage. Most gave confused, curious glares at this sudden scene.

Shocked by her defeat, Katie's mouth was wide open. Her inner fury grew to unimaginable lengths, but the sting of her sudden loss was too much for her to act upon it.

Dia herself went through plenty of mixed emotions. All she could make out was a blank stare at the one she had loved for a long time.

Gina herself had a warm smile on her face, accompanied by a single tear. A sudden feeling of pride swelled within her, touched by her friend's brave act.

Most noticeable of all, looking upon Dia with grief and remorse, was Doctor Alex himself.


	3. Dillema Diagnosis

Chapter 3

"Ugh... oooo... oohh... oooo... owwwww..."

"Darn it, man! What in the world were you thinking?"

On their way to the clinic, Jack glared in disbelief at Joe, who was groaning in sickly pain.

The woodsman apprentice wore a blue "star-spangled" bandana with tufts of brown bangs sticking out at the sides, along with a red and white-striped shirt for an American Flag outfit. He also wore a light brown vest, dark brown pants, and a creamy white pair of shoes. Usually, with Joe's normal concentration of positive energy, he wound run around with a chipper smile on his face, but his current circumstances kept from doing so. Concerning his outfit, no one bothered asking Joe if he was really American, but that's likely because it never really mattered to anyone in the village.

"Ooooo... Jack, Buddy... you have nooo clueeee... how much I needed to do this... awwww..." Joe groaned.

"Joe, if I've said it once, I've said it over a thousand times: YOU'RE CRAZY! Why would you try her cake, let alone try to win her heart? Katie's just going to eat you alive, whether or not she returns your affections! Besides, I overheard she's trying some insane plan of seducing Doctor Auzzie! It's bad enough that the lady killer has to potential to amass dozens of love struck girls! You think he needs Katie on his case, too," Jack cried.

"Owwww.. nooooo... I must have Katie recognize meee... oooooohhh..." Joe moaned.

"What? By committing suicide! Yesterday, you ate Katie's Cayenne cake, for crying out loud! With too much Cayenne! I figured a spicy cake like that was bound to make your stomach go crazy. I'm just surprised you held out THIS long without having to deal with this kind of pain!" Jack shouted.

"Ugh... honestllyyyyyy, I thought the Cayenne was a frruuuittttt..." Joe admitted.

Jack smacked his head in disbelief. "Your level of insanity astounds me, you know".

For a brief moment, Joe held back is pain by an amazing force of will.

"Insanity? Maybe. But I know for sure that it's love", Joe responded in a suave tone. "Oh the pain!"

Jack proceeded to shake his head his in disgust while Joe bent forward in his suffering. They stayed in these same postures for the rest of the journey until they made it to the clinic, where they witnessed a really discomforting scene.

"Okay... why is everybody just standing there?" Jack asked curiously.

Inside and around the clinic, blank stares were aplenty. Katie's gaping wide mouth remained open, while the others stood by helplessly.

The only two people who's expressions stood out most were the happy Gina, and the disoriented Doctor Alex.

With Dia's recent confession, an illness afflicted the Doctor's heart. For a long time, he had been unable to say a thing to Gina, the nurse whom he had secretly admired. At the same time, he had just realized that his constant patient had been unable to do the same until now.

"How could I had missed this?" he thought to himself. "All that time she would shy away from me without even saying a thing, and I never noticed"

For a brief moment, he faced Gina with a look of deep longing, then turned back to Dia, with feelings of guilt. A struggle took place within him. With the unsettling atmosphere, he was unable to sort out feelings.

Doctor Alex took in a deep breath, then coughed. He then turned around and took a few steps forward. "Excuse me", he uttered as he headed towards the sanatorium.

Gina's delighted expression quickly turned to shock as she recalled the way that Alex looked at him. Everything Dia had said to her suddenly sunk in. "That expression... but that was... was Dia right, along? Oh my..."

Struggling to cope with this, she simply stood, frozen in place with a blank stare towards nothing. Time stood still for what seemed like forever, until the silence was broken by sobbing.

Tears ran down Dia's face. Everything for her went completely awry. "This wasn't supposed to happen... this wasn't supposed to happen... he was supposed to turn me down and tell Gina how he feels. They were supposed to finally be happy together... he would finally be with the woman he always longed for... and she would finally find love, and even a family... then I would be okay, because I know they would always take care of each other... because I know the Doctor would never love me... because Gina is my best friend... and because, I love him... but it isn't happening... they're not together... and the Doctor left. I can tell I upset him. How did I upset him? Why is he upset? Why can't Gina help him? Why can't I help him? I hurt him... I... hurt him... I..."

Gina quickly rushed to Dia's side as she saw her friend's suffering. "Dia, I'm sorry. I guess I really should've believed you. I admit that I had a crush on him for the longest time, but what you felt for him was more serious. He never treated me as anything more than his trusted nurse, so I thought a romance would be hopeless. As a friend, I was happy to learn that someone truly loved him, so I thought you two would eventually hit it off, but... you were right all along".

She then reached into a pocket for a handkerchief that she could cry on.

"I... don't know what's wrong with him now. I wish I could help him, but I... I just don't understand. Dia... I'm sorry you had to see him upset like that, but it's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself. You were simply following your heart. There's nothing wrong with that. You're not at fault here, so please don't blame yourself," she spoke in a motherly tone, trying to calm down her dear friend, but it was no use.

Dia was still upset for the damage she had done to her beloved Doctor, and she may very well never get over it. Gina, being the ever faithful friend, stood by her sobbing friend for continual moral support. Katie was just far too confused to even comprehend what had just occurred, and was still frozen in place with her mouth open. Being unused to this kind of scene, Maria silently stood in place, feeling helpless. Finally, Ellen shook in a sudden burst of frustration.

"This isn't right, none of this! The doctor just left everything in a mess. I can't allow everything to remain this way! I can't let it go on like this!", Ellen thought to herself. With that in mind, she marched off to confront the Doctor.

Meanwhile, Jack and Joe remained outside, still unable to make out the situation.

"So, um... does that mean Auzzie needs Ellen's help on a procedure? But isn't Gina the nurse?" Jack asked in confusion.

"need helllp... pain growwwwiiiingggg... won't last lonnggggg... meddiccccccc..." Joe moaned.

"Okay, okay. No body else is following Auzzie and Ellen into the sanatorium, so we should assume they need some privacy. Gina's still by the entrance with Dia, so we'll just take you to her for the moment. Our "true blue" nurse is just as capable of giving a diagnosis as Auzzie, and she even knows where every medicine in the clinic is, so we should be just fine with her," Jack explained.

Joe was too busy trying to fight off his pain to respond. Jack let out another sigh and forcefully brought Joe towards the clinic.

"Hey! We got a sick man here! He eat some ill-prepared goods, and he would appreciate some immedate relief! Can you get us some medicine?" Jack called out to Gina, but she was still busy trying to comfort Dia.

"Oh crud. Gina's tending to Dia right now. Well, then... I guess I should try to find the stomach medicine myself, huh?".

When Joe got a good look into the clinic, he spotted Katie's peculiar posture and immediately perked up. "Katie!" he cried out in jubilation. He then strutted over to Katie, trying to make a god impression.

Jack groaned. "I don't believe this. What's Katie still doing here? Whatever. It looked like pandemonium hit this place, but I know those stomach pains are going to hit Joe again in a matter of moments. Better find the medicine".

In half-hearted desperation, Jack was about to go raid the cupboards when he noticed that out of all the emotional characters in the vicinity, Maria was all alone.

"That's odd... I almost never see the librarian hang out here. Well, nobody else is really talking to her, and she isn't looking too good. Guess it's up to me, then," Jack sighed to himself.

In the top floor of the sanatorium, Doctor Alex was treading in his own pool of angst.

"I've secretly harbored these feelings for Gina for awhile now, and in the course of that time, I've neglected my patient's feelings. I feel cold for some reason. I've... distanced myself from the both of due to my cowardice and selfishness. How could I've failed to see it, all this time? I've... wronged them both", he thought.

Even worse, his heart stung with the foolish retreat he made during the commotion from earlier.

"As the responsible one, I should've stayed firm and took propper action, but I fled instead. It was obvious what I did back there. There were no excuses. I simply ran away. If anything, what I did was make things worse."

Doctor Alex clutched his heart. It pounded heavily as he was unable to calm himself. " I knew that I had feelings for Gina for the longest time, but... why do I feel so torn? It could've been easy... I could've said that what she felt was likely an affectionate form of gratitude. In truth, that wouldn't have been a sensible answer, but it was still explanation. And yet, I hesitated to say anything. I felt too guilty. I felt responsible. Is it possible... that I now love her, too? But then... what do I do?"

With the confusion further brewing in his mind, Doctor Alex was paralyzed by doubt. Truth felt intangible to him. His heart throbbed, and he wasn't sure for which girl it ached for. His mind went back and forth between the welcome smile he had grown accustomed to when he worked with Gina, and the new expression of longing that Dia revealed as she made her confession. The two images then changed into one image, showing both of them upset. By some unknown force, he saw Dia crying, with Gina desperately trying to help her.

"I just hurt Miss Dia. I just hurt my patient, and my nurse's best friend. Miss Dia gave me her heart and I just abandoned it. The two of them must hate me, now. The woman who worked tireless by my side, and the young lady who I had treated for a while now. I hurt the both of them by carelessly leaving them, and I don't know what to do. I had a chance to respond to Miss Dia's feelings, right in front of Gina, but I didn't know how. I've stationed myself here, trying to think of how to handle this situation, but I still don't know how. What I am I supposed to do now? What exactly am I supposed to do now? I don't know... I simply don't know..."

Nothing came to Doctor Alex's mind but more confusion and despair. In matters concerning medicine, he was always on top of things, but when it came to dealing with an emotional crisis, there was little he could do. Without a clear solution, he was as helpless as poor Dia, who understood his feelings almost perfectly. He was as clueless as Gina was at discerning his feelings towards her. He was ill like Joe's stomach, which despite the emotional relief from Katie, still needs its medicine.

Doctor Alex needed a cure for Dia's pain, as well as his own. He still wanted to tell Gina how he felt about her, but he wasn't sure if those feelings still hold true. He still wanted to give Dia an explanation for his actions, but wasn't sure why he even left everyone like that in the first place. Nothing came to light for him. With each thought, his dilemma continually reinforced itself. He could do nothing but sit alone in silence, letting his anxiety grow until suddenly...

"Doctor! What do you think you're doing? I demand an explanation immediately!". His head rose to see Ellen, with labored breathing, glaring at him in anger.

Alex was unsure what to make of this, and he was still too disoriented to even speak.

"Dia's crying outside, and Gina's trying her best to ease her pain! Dia showed her heart to you, and all you did was leave her without saying anything! What's the matter with you!"

Alex let out a huge sigh. "Ellen... I'm sorry, I---"

"Don't apologize to me! Go outside and tell HER!"

Doctor Alex wasn't used to seeing Ellen this way. In fact, anyone who would see her being this angry wouldn't even believe it.

With nothing holding her back, Ellen approached Doctor Alex and looked at him right in the face. The Doctor himself was still hesitant to speak with anyone.

"Doctor! You made your patient cry! You should never do that! You'd never do that! I can tell you're always working hard because you care about everybody! Why did you just leave her like that? Why?" she demanded.

Ellen's cherished image of the doctor she admired so greatly started crumbling before her very eyes. The dutiful doctor, the one who worked tirelessly for the sake medicine, the one who smiled so gently as he enjoyed nature's splendor, the one who was there whenever there was sick person in need, was reduced to thing more than this poor, lost soul.

"I... believe it's because... I' afraid of the truth... or at least, that I'm afraid of not knowing it..." Alex managed to say.

"What? What... do you mean by that?" Ellen asked in a softer tone. Her frustration changed into concern.

"In most cases, I never had to worry so much when it came to solving questions or problems. Whenever it required an immediate solution, I would always be prepared with the answer. Whenever it required time or research, I would devote my time into finding it. Whenever there was no clear answered that really mattered, I simply wouldn't mind" he explained.

He suddenly smiled as he envisioned more pleasant times. " There are so many mysteries of the medical world that feel so illogical, that they have been simply been deemed memories. Even I am unsure completely how the human mind and soul work, like how it manages to heal itself by sheer strength of will, or how a touching memory can refresh someone. I think about these kinds of things on occasion, and I've made a habit out of being nature's spectator, and it relaxes me, because the solutions to these wondrous mysteries don't really matter".

Then he looked upon Ellen, expressing his former sorrow. "But this is different. This time, I'm dealing with the fragility of human emotions. If I didn't return her feelings, she would be completely crushed, but if I did, it would either come out as a gesture of friendship, or it would just be a false proclamation".

"In that case... you could've just said that you didn't love her... you acted as if you were repulsed be her", Ellen said as a tear ran down her check.

"I know, and it pained me to do so, but to be completely honest... I don't know for sure if I don't love her", Alex confessed.

"...w-what?"

"For a long time, I secretly had my eye on another girl. During my time as a Doctor, she would always be by my side, and her assistance was always satisfactory. I have grown so accustomed to her help, and I had enjoyed her kindness so much, that I came to love her presence. Unfortunately, I had never found the courage to tell her my true feelings, and nothing more ever came of our relationship. It continued this way, even as Miss Dia came into my life. But now that she had done what I had never accomplished, I feel... that maybe I had ignored the cries of her own heart. I was so focused on my feelings for the one I secretly admired, that I must've closed my heart towards others. I felt something when Miss Dia confessed to me, and I'm not sure what it is. If it is indeed love, then it would be reasonable to assume... that my feelings for the other woman... might be false. If I disregard those feelings completely, only find out there was no true meaning behind it... it would disastrous for all of us", he explained.

Ellen's eyes focused intensely on Doctor Alex. A discomforting feeling slowly crept into her.

"Ellen, I notice that you devote yourself to taking care of those around you, that you have reached out to so many people. What if you've paid so much attention to one of these people that you've managed to neglect the needs of others?" Alex asked somberly.

A chill ran down Ellen's spine. "... d-does that mean there could be people I'm unaware of ... that secretly love me?" she asked herself. "I've been… trying so hard to look out for the Doctor, struggling to sort out my thoughts... I... really love him, too, don't I? And... I've been so blind in trying to convince myself otherwise... I didn't even consider who would feel this way about me..."

"Do you understand? I wish I could find a clear solution for this, and yet I have already failed to so by running from Miss Dia. I'm not even sure what she is to me now." he sighed.

Ellen looked deep into the Doctor's eyes and clearly saw his pain. She couldn't think of anything as a permanent solution, but an idea came to her.

"Then... go ahead and find out for yourself. Reach out to her and get close to her", Ellen suggested.

"Reach... out to her?" Alex asked skeptically.

"Yes. You should get to know her. While you're at it, try and spend some free time with whom you secretly admire as well. If you got to know the both of them, maybe you would better understand your feelings. By the time you know the two of them well enough, you should be able to know which one you truly love!" Ellen explained with enthusiasm.

"Would... it really be that simple? But... I have so much to do, and I find it hard to converse with them on a casual basis" Alex responded.

"Well, you're talking with me right now, aren't you?" Ellen chirped.

Somehow, Ellen's efforts managed to save Alex from his despair. He slowly began his recovery.

"That's... true, isn't it? It's much easier than I thought it was" he admitted.

Ellen nodded. "Good! Just keep that mentality going and everything should be fine!"

Doctor Alex looked at her curiously. "Considering everything we've just talked about, I suppose I should thank you for your efforts in taking care of me. You've made sure that I have something to eat everyday, so... I am grateful for what you do for me, and for everyone. It makes me relieved that there's somebody else trying to take care of the villagers, so I'm perfectly happy with your work".

Ellen felt her face reddening. Doctor Alex had never smiled for her before, and yet at this moment, here he was, doing something she thought would never happen. Her heart still throbbed because him, yet she was happy just to make him smile like this. Accomplishing this amazing feet gave her a newfound hope.

"I suppose... with actually have a lot in common then", Doctor Alex laughed.

Ellen nodded. "Agreed... we make pretty good friends, huh?"

_Friends_, she thought. The proposal of a simple friendship had an unusual ring to it at first, but she felt just fine as she took notice of the special moment he just shared with him. She saw value in this newfound friendship, as she had finally got closed to the doctor she tried so hard to take care of. She found herself giving him the most sincere smile she had ever expressed.

"Friends, huh? In that case... I suppose we me make perfectly fine friends, then", he grinned.

"Then, you'll try talking to Dia and that other young lady, right?", Ellen asked as a reminder.

"Yes. I believe that would be a great help" Doctor Alex responded.

"Great! Then I'll hold you accountable to it!" Ellen cried.

"Very well then. I'll try my best to do so", Alex declared.

Ellen soon found herself embracing him. She felt unusual offering this sudden display of affection, but it also felt perfectly fine for her. In response, Alex's face reddened ever so slightly, but he accepted her hug in comfort.

"You're finally okay. Thank goodness", Ellen whispered. She then released her hold in embarrassment.

"Interesting..." Doctor Alex said to himself.

"... did I do something strange?" Ellen asked sheepishly.

Doctor shook his head. "I suppose I should head back, then. It would be rude to keep them waiting any further" he answered calmly.

"Good. Just embrace the ideals of friendship, and everything will be fine!"

Ellen advised.

Together, the two of them walked slowly down the stairs, and headed straight for the entrance. Right as Alex reached the door, he turned to face Ellen.

"Right. I suppose while we're on the subject, there is something interesting I should probably tell you."

Ellen paused. "Yes?"

"I've heard rumors from a few of the villagers. It seems your efforts of taking care of the villagers have actually caught someone's fancy. Considering your impeccable record of treating the village, I speculated that there would've been quite a few bachelors vying for your affections, but I am disappointed to learn that quite a few young men in our village have their eyes set on the other available young ladies. It's quite a shame, considering how much you've provided for them," Alex explained in a cool tone.

Ellen looked at him funny. "Is... this his idea of good news?" she thought.

"On the other hand, it turns out there is indeed somebody who has his eye on you. While my initial findings made be a little skeptical at first, I... had a reliable source that confirmed it for me. You should consider getting to know him on a personal basis, before another woman changes his mind," he warned.

Ellen's heart beat throbbed intensely. "I abandoned another's love... and yet, it is possible they would still pursue me to this day?", she thought to herself in excitement.

She suddenly yearned for Thanksgiving. "Maybe... maybe everything will become clear when that day comes!" She then pictured the faces of the young men of the village. Somehow, her mind settled on one face, and she suddenly shook in anticipation. "Maybe it's him... if anything, he's always been so kind towards me"

She then turned to the Doctor, looking thoroughly embarrassed. "I'm... sorry for any trouble I caused", she said with a light chuckle.

"N-no... you've been a great help. There's nothing for you to worry about" Doctor Alex responded. He felt something much more behind that apology other than the stern lecture he was given, but he didn't seem to mind so much.

"I... suspect that I secretly turned her down as well, didn't I? I'm really grateful that she still wanted to be friends, but I hope for her sake that she realizes how much Carl likes her. Leave him alone any longer, and he may very well fall in love with her "interesting" assistant instead. I admit that Jack's ability at gathering information like that is most impressive, if not suspicious" he thought to himself.

Determined to fix the damage wrought by recent events, Doctor Alex and Ellen prepared to head back into the clinic.


	4. Attypical Treatment

Chapter 4

Back at the clinic, Jack attempted to fix Maria's loneliness, while Joe tried to win over Katie's unstable affections.

"So then, Maria... what brings you to clinic?" Jack greeted.

Maria still stood in place, lost in her mind. "Maybe... I... don't even remember why I was here anymore...", she uttered somberly.

"Really now?" Jack spotted the stack of books from Maria dropped off earlier, and took one to show her. "This small column appears to be the property of the Flower Bud Village Library. It looks like they were recently checked out. Do you need them back so soon?" he asked.

"Oh, that..." Maria said wistfully while still giving a blank stare. "Those are just books the Doctor requested".

In deep confusion, Jack waved a hand in front of Maria. "Okay... since when are you a robot? Maria, are you feeling alright?"

"Oh... I'm just fine" she answered emotionlessly. "I don't really matter so much, anyway. It's not like anyone really cares about me. Nobody even understands me. I'm... just the librarian, after all"

Jack groaned hard. "All that interest in art and philosophy, and she turns into this pretty statue in so little time? That is pathetic! What went on here!" he thought.

He then thought back to Alex and Ellen heading to the sanatorium, and looked at the crying Dia, with Gina still trying to calm her down.

"Okay, I'm stupid. This obviously involves Auzzie, Ellen, and Dia somehow. And... considering how Maria was hit hard here too, and Katie's mouth froze open despite Joe's best efforts, I'm thinking one of these people decided to tell Auzie how she felt... and now it turned into this. Well, it couldn't have been Gina. If it was here, she'd already be living happily ever after. Besides, Gina was surprisingly oblivious. Gah... I saw how Maria looked at Auzzie whenever they talk! I don't know how can fix her! She doesn't even pay attention to anyone when she gets carried away in her pursuit of knowledge! "he speculated in frustration.

In a bold gesture, he walked right in front of Maria, and gave her a peculiar glare straight her face. Upon eye contact, Maria jumped back, startled.

"J-Jack! What was that about?" she asked as she got goose bumps.

"What are you talking about? 'nobody understands me?' Do you even give people a chance to understand you? You've managed to distance yourself from people so much that you can't even notice those interested in what you have to say! C'mon! You have your dad, Mayor Theodore, right? What about me? Do I count for anything?", Jack exclaimed.

Maria looked at him in astoundment. "You... actually listen to me?"

Jack nodded in disgust. "Please don't tell me you thought I was just trying to find an excuse to flirt and... just listen! I've seen a few other guys going into the library who seem like they'll be happy to hear what you have to see! I've seen Basil and Louis going in there plenty of times! They seem the worldly kind of people that would go for your philosophies on life!"

"R-really? I suppose it would've been worth the effort trying to engage either of them into a conversation... but there's this one individual who seems desperate to get away from me! It's like he sees an apparition whenever he's near me. I guess... I've hard a harder time talking to others since then. He was an odd man, but I felt he was quite knowledgeable".

Jack had a big grin on his face. Only one name came to mind he heard of what Maria spoke of. "Ray..."

Jack tried really hard to keep himself from laughing, but Maria took notice.

"Uh... Jack are you okay?"

Jack shook his head. "Never mind that! You understand what I'm trying to say, right?"

Maria nodded slowly.

"Okay, okay. That's good! Now, I should probably keep this a secret, but I think it's important for you to know, considering your current... circumstances", Jack said with a sly grin.

Maria looked at him funny, but no sooner had she stared; Jack somehow took her by surprise, seemingly appearing right next to her in the blink of an eye.

"I just happened to know" Jack whispered, "that someone reeeaaallllly likes you!"

Maria felt a little hazy. "I...I'm not sure how to feel about this... I don't even know to believe it... if... if that's true though, I'm not even sure... if they could ever measure up to Doctor Alex... but then..."

Jack took a few steps back, and watched with great curiosity. "I wonder if my buddy Ray can actually score with this girl? It's interesting. I sense... a need to know from her, yet I sense doubt, fear, and lingering yearning... I'm quite intrigued if she'll be willing to choose the path of salvation for herself, or if she'll decide the path of self destruction.. In any case, I would think that Ray would have a stronger interest in an adventurous soul like Ann, or maybe a free spirit like Gwen. Ah... whatever floats his boat, I guess. I mean, Maria IS a nice enough girl"

"Should... I even be seeking a romance so prematurely?" Maria continued thinking to herself. "Jack DID point out that I haven't been so big with friendships, but, he reminded me that he was my friend, and... maybe the doctor sees me as one, too... at least I hope he does..."

"So!" Jack said aloud. "You think that maybe you'll start talking to the other guys, now? We're friends, at least... maybe you have more than you realize."

Maria nodded slowly. "I hope you're right", she said quietly.

"And heck, if you find out who's been crushing on you, than kudos to you! Maybe you'll enjoy his company, or maybe not. At least it'll be fun while it lasted" Jack chimed in.

Noticing how bad it was going between Katie and Joe, Jack was about to pull his friend out of his dilemma when Maria tugged at his arm.

"Wait!" she cried.

Jack sighed. "What is it? Are you still a little doubtful of what I have to say?"

"Who are you talking about? Who do you say likes me?" Maria asked desperately.

Again, Jack sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry... I can confirm for sure that someone likes you, but not exactly who. While it would be really nice to see how you'd react to the name of that man, I don't happen to have it at the moment. My sources... aren't exactly precise and thorough", he lied in a smooth tone.

"Oh... well, thank you, anyway" Maria answered in a soft tone.

"Yeah, sure! Glad to be of help! I hope you find your happiness soon, then!" Jack said right before he rushed out to Joe's aid.

"I wonder... who he could be talking about" Maria thought, "could he be talking about himself? N-no... that's not possible. Jack is married to Lyla, and by the way they look so comfortable together, I can tell they're having a happy marriage. Then... could it be... him?"

Maria's face turned red as she pictured Doctor Alex's handsome face. "...but... I have a feeling the chances of that are slim... I saw him, as he looked upon Dia when she confessed her love. I'm not sure how I would gather this assumption, but... it seemed as though... he actually harbored some feelings for her. Still, it would be very lovely... if he at least acknowledge a friendship between us. Part of me still feels lonely, somehow." she thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Katie was beating Joe upside the head, leaving him with numerous scrapes and bruises . "You... creepy... stalker! I thought that dessert I sabotaged would've finally had you gone from my sight!", she yelled.

"Ugh! No! This can't be! Ouch! You mean -ouch- to tell me that that lovely Cayenne cake -ooh!- was tainted?" Joe cried out as he suffered numerous punches.

"What? No!" Katie shouted. Out of sheer anger, she sent a mean haymaker straight into Joe's gut, sending him straight into a nearby table.

"How dare you speak blasphemy about my brilliant creation! I meant that spare pie I made I secretly fixed with raw fish to make your breath stink, and a little bit of "Grape Soda" to knock you out! I left it outside by a window in hopes that it would catch your eye! Then you'd be too embarrassed to come near me again!" she growled. She then tossed two successive books from a nearby shelf straight at Joe's face. The first one hit dead on, but the second was caught by Jack with impressive reflexes.

Jack groaned. "I REALLY should've caught that first one, too" he thought to himself in disappointment.

Katie huffed, then turned around. "How dare a creepy stalker try my beloved Cheyenne Cake? I'm glad SOMEONE wanted to try it, but the thought of a stalker making the first bite disgusts me! It's appalling!" she whined.

In his half-concious state, Joe rubbed his head.. "Ahh.. I don' remembah a pie on a windah..." he slurred.

Katie gulped. "What? You mean... it wasn't you who ate my trick pie? Then...who..."

Thinking back, Jack recalled an unusual event during one of his night outings when Mayor Theodore was sleeping outside Cafe Callaway with stinky fish breath emitting from his mouth. "Oh... well, that's one mystery solved" he thought to himself.

Katie's anger started taking over her again. "You saw through my little ruse, didn't you? You tricked some other poor guy into eating the pie, so you could have your laugh and continue stalking me, didn't you? Why I aughta..."

As Katie slowly advanced with earth-shaking stomps, Joe felt his stomach. "Hey! My stomach ache's gone!" he said in amazement.

With a groan, Jack yanked Joe off of the ground and dragged him speedily towards the entrance. "That's it! We can't stay here any more! Katie's going to kill you!"

After the two young me made it to the door, Jack opened up, ready to run for Joe's life, but instead bumped into Alex.

"Eh...oh! Hey, Auzzie! Glad you could make it back!" Jack said with a chipper smile.

"Good evening, Jack. I see you've managed to handle everything while I was away", he answered coolly.

Katie panicked at the sight of him, clutching her aching heart. "Ah! No! He... was almost mine", she hopelessly thought to herself.

While one mess was made, and another was slightly fixed, Dia was still crying from her pain. "He hates me. I did something and now he hates me." she spoke miserably.

"No... not at all," Gina said softly. "There's just something he has to work out. I'm sure he'll be just fine when he comes back."

"No he won't!" Dia cried "I still remember that look on his face! He was so disturbed, and scared... "

"Then... I am sorry for my earlier discretions", a different voice said.

Dia realized that she was in a tighter embrace from before. She looked up, seeing a saddened Doctor Alex.

"D...Doctor?" Dia uttered in half shock.

"What I had done was so foolish. I was a coward who couldn't even explain himself," Alex said.

"Doctor, please don't be sad. Please don't be hard on yourself. I was to only one who said anything... I was clearly out of line when I had spoke out like that. I don't care if you don't even want to be near me, as long as you're okay. I don't need you to apologize to me" said Dia.

Doctor Alex held Dia even tighter, and placed his right hand above her head. "I'll... be okay once I know you're fine. I was the one who made you upset in the first place".

"D...Doctor..you're... too kind", said Dia in a remorseful tone. Yet part of her didn't care. She was finally in the arms of the one she adored, but she was still aware of the feelings he had for Gina.

"I understand... that no matter how much I wanted you, you only have eyes for Gina, right? I'm... okay with that... Gina's been such a good friend to me... she deserves someone as thoughtful as you", she continued in a soft tone.

"Miss Dia, I--"

"Doctor, it's true, isn't it? That you love me?" Gina questioned.

Doctor slowly turned to Gina with a half smile. "Sadly, I'm not even sure now..."

Gina then hugged Dia with the Doctor from another side, sandwiching the Princess in between.

"I'm sorry. I caused the both of you so much grief when I didn't listen to Dia. Doctor, you're not even sure of yourself anymore, are you?" she said in an apologetic tone.

"Gina..." Dia said silently.

"So... then you actually knew along?" Doctor Alex asked.

"Yes, but I kept on denying it. I caused the both of you so much grief, didn't I? I was like Dia with my actions. You see, I had this secret crush on you for awhile, but saw how much Dia truly loved you, and I felt that the two of you would make a really cute couple together. I've been trying for the hardest time to get Dia to confess to you, but I didn't know it would end up this way. I... wasn't even sure if I could believe Dia, because she was always so shy when it comes to talking about you. And Dia, I'm sorry that I put so much pressure for you... everything's really my fault. I'm sorry. I'll take responsibility for everything", Gina confessed.

With the kindness expressed by both her best friend and her beloved doctor, a warm filled Dia's soul. "The both of you... really care about me so much. I'm sorry for what happened, but I'm thankful that the two of you are with me like this" she said with a calm smile.

"Dia!", both Alex and Gina exclaimed.

The two of them released their embrace of Dia. Dia then took a few steps back, and looked at Alex straight in the eye with a gentle expression on her face.

"Doctor, please consider your true feelings, and pursue them with all your heart. This is what I really wanted all this time. I love you too much to keep you from your hapiness, so don't let me burden you. You came back the caring man you always were, so I'll be fine", she explained. Never before had Dia ever expressed such a tender smile.

Gina looked concerned. "But... Dia, are you really okay with this? You're the one who really loves him! I don't think I could ever return his feelings the way you can!"

"Gina..." Doctor Alex called out in a gentle tone.

Gina's heart swelled. She couldn't stand the sudden pain. "Doctor... I'm sorry, I've been such a diligent nurse to you all this time, but I'm not sure if I could ever be as faithful with love as Dia is. I'm not a worthy match for you"

"Gina, it's alright. Everything will be okay" Doctor Alex assured with a warm smile.

"Doctor?" Dia softly cried.

Doctor Alex humbly bowed his head. "I... believe I haven't been fair to the two of you for the longest time now. I've been so distant from both of you that I think I've lost touched with how you feel. So, I've decided that I should spend some time to better know you ladies".

Dia and Gina were both speechless by what he had to say. For a while, the room remained silent, until Gina finally spoke up. "By what do you mean, Doctor?"

"Dia's confession of love had touched me so much, that I feel a little torn now.

If I want to understand for sure what I'm feeling, I think we should all hang out together, the three of us. If these feelings still persist, then... maybe I could go out with one of you... alone... just two of us", he proposed with a stinging feeling.

"Doctor..." Gina answered wistfully.

"I think the three of us together will be just fine!" Dia exclaimed cheerfully.

"This... will probably feel awkward between the three of us, now that everything's out in the open", Alex confessed.

"Not at all! Gina, Doctor... the two of you have been the closest friends to me for a long time! We'll make happy times between the three of us, because we care about each other so much! Doctor, like I said before, I don't care at all! As long as it'll help sort out your feelings, I'll be happy to go along with it", Dia responded with newfound optimism.

"Dia... I've never seen you this excited before", Gina said in astoundment.

"It's because... everyone's finally okay now" Dia answered softly. "Doctor... I'm looking forward to what you have planned next time. I hope you make your final decision based on your own happiness. Gina and I will be glad for you in the end, no matter what", Dia informed cheerfully.

"I'll keep that in mind", Alex grinned.

"Then, I'm looking forward to it as well. Let's make each outing a happy memory, okay?" Gina insisted.

In a subtle corner of the clinic, Ellen managed to get by everyone without bringing attention to herself as she accompanied Doctor Alex inside. She smiled pleasantly as she witnessed this touching scene. "Everything's... getting better now. The doctor confronted the two he cared most about, and now everything's fixed now. I have no doubt that those three will be able to find happiness, now. I'm... proud to be here. I'm glad this was possible" she thought. Once again, single tear ran down her cheek again, but this time, it was with joy in her heart.

Meanwhile, Maria watched on helplessly as the three friends appeared to be just fine. "No... he'll forget about me now, will he? He'll have the two of them to keep him happy while I'll slowly fade in obscurity. He already has two great friends now. For what reason would he have to talk to me anymore?" she silently thought to herself.

"Hey, Maria!" Alex called out.

"Oh no! This is it... now he'll block me out of his life forever!", she panicked in her thoughts.

Doctor Alex slowly walked up to Maria, with both Gina and Dia watching anxiously from behind.

"I forgot to thank you earlier for bringing me the books I requested. It's a great help to me", he said.

Maria blushed. "O-oh... right... you're welcome. I'm... glad to be of service", she stuttered.

"It's not just that. Every time I come into the library, you've always had something interesting for the two of us to discuss. We even get into the most heated debates at times, but it's always so exhilarating to talk to someone about life philosophies. It has been a pleasure to know an intellectual such as yourself, and I'm sorry I haven't openly acknowledged this relationship sooner. You've provided such wonderful conversations for me, for that, I would like to thank you. It would be a pleasure if we were able to continue our friendship", Alex expressed in gratitude.

Maria shook with inner pleasure. "So he did recognize me all along! None of it was ever in my mind! We truly talked together... and the both of us were relaxed. I was really happy", she thought.

Maria shook Doctor Alex's hands with a relieved smile. "It would be my pleasure as well. You're most certainly welcome", she managed to say in a relaxed tone.

"Hey! Don't forget about me! I'm always around if you need someone to talk to!" Jack cried.

"Yes, and you as well! I'll consider you too when I feel the need to talk", Maria answered.

"And don't forgot the other patrons of the library! I'm sure they wouldn't mind holding a conversation with you, too!" Jack called back.

Maria nodded. "I won't disregard anyone, anymore" she promised to herself. "I was... never alone all this time".

Suddenly, two figures approached the entrance to the clinic.

"Lyla! Carl! I'm glad you two decided to make an appearance! What brings you two here?" Jack asked curiously.

Lyla's sweet smile made Jack blush. "Darling, I saw the commotion outside getting worse, so I thought it would be best to bring Carl's services along. I noticed no one here ate for hours, I ordered everyone here a piece of his famous cheesecake along with a lovely cup of herb tea"

"Please enjoy, everybody!" Carl called out loud.

Katie let out a low growl as she spotted her boss and "teacher" nearby. "Oh great, him..." she thought with intense anger in her voice. She was about to let out her remaining frustration on him when she felt her stomach growl "Aww... now I'm hungry. I guess I'll have to put that on hold for another time", she thought as she groaned in hunger and disappointment.

Everyone then gathered around Carl as both he and Lyla passed out treats. With an ethusiastic smile, Jack joined in on serving up plates and saucers as well.

"Lyla! Thank you! You always seem to come through for me, don't you?" Jack exclaimed.

Lyla giggled. "I'm glad to be of service, Darling. It was the least I could do for that lovely Pink Cat Flower you gave me earlier"

Jack felt immensely satisfied on the inside. Whenever he made a nice gesture to his wife, somehow, he is always paid back in tenfold. That's just one of the many reasons he has to love her, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

After a moment of enjoying himself, Jack saw Katie charge forward while running over a defeated Joe on her way. She then held out both hands and put on her most threatening expression on a long time.

"Cheesecake!", Katie demanded immediately.

Jack let out a long sigh, then served her a decent plate.

Being temporarily content, Katie turned away and marched to a secluded corner of the room, eating with fearsome bites. "I'm... in a place full of bad memories", Katie thought in disgust.

When Jack finally cheered up, he turned his attention to a quiet young lady who slowly made her way to the cheesecake. "Ah, Ellen! Nice to see you return! And at a most fortuitous time as well! Come on and dig in!", he called out to her.

When she finally stepped forward, Jack handed her a cup of herbal tea.

"Thanks, Jack" Ellen said in a soft tone.

Jack nodded, then turned to Carl.

"Hey, Carl! We need another cake here! There's no more to give from my side!"

"Coming right up!" Carl announced as he grabbed another plate of cake from his tray. Afterwards, Carl left his temporary post to personally serve the cake to the new customer.

At the moment of delivery, both Carl's and Ellen's eyes met in a personal moment.

While the two of them were distracted looking at each other, Jack spotted Doctor Alex, Gina, and Dia happily enjoying their cake. It was a picturesque moment for the three of them, and Jack took careful notice of this.

"Looks like that counts as their first happy memory, then," he said to himself with amused grin.


	5. Lifetime Cure

Epilogue

"Ellen! Gosh, you look beautiful!"

The compassionate helper of Flower Bud Village was dressed in a stunning cream

bridesmaid's dress. Her flattered escort Carl was formally dressed in a matching tuxedo, looking very handsome.

"R-really, Carl? I... I wasn't sure I would be able to pull it off, but... thank you Carl! I'm so glad that I look pleasing to you!"

In gratitude, bridesmaid Ellen openly embraced her trusted friend, causing the both of them to turn red.

"Hey, it's not just him! I think you look quite fine myself!" another man's voice grinned.

"Really! You're gorgeous!" a woman's voice exclaimed.

The blushing pair turned to see Jack and Lyla, who also dressed for the occasion.

"Jack, Lyla, you shouldn't flatter me so much! I'm... I'm not the one getting married here! I'm a simple bridesmaid like you, Lyla! And Jack... to be the Best Man! It must be a great honor!" said Ellen.

Jack shook his head. "Nawww... it's not all that great. I made Auzzie the Best Man at my wedding, so he's just paying me a favor, that's all. He's simply paying me back."

"Regardless, you're in a very respectable decision," Carl said " He must really value your friendship!"

"Among other things, I guess" Jack shrugged..

"I'm sorry that you couldn't attend our last wedding, but I'm happy to join you as a fellow bridesmaid, Ellen!" Lyla confessed.

"Same here!" Ellen responded.

She then turned her attention towards the edge of the cliff where previous couples of Flower Bud Village were also wedded.

"It's such a shame that our village lacks so many married couples, it's a little disheartening," Ellen confessed "I hope... that the many solitary members of this village find someone they can connect to. In the mean time, let's offer our best wishes to the bride and groom. They've had a long struggle to get where they're at now, and from the moment they make their vows, we can only bring them our support. I'll be up to them to sustain their happiness... but I'm sure they'll be able to accomplish that easily. Not only do they have each other's love, but the love of their friends as well."

"Very well said!" Jack cried. 'It makes me wish you were the one wedding them off! I mean, you seem to be one the one with the voice that can bring people together."

Ellen's face became even redder with Jack's compliment. "Thank you, but I would think you would be more fitting. You're so charismatic and sociable; you would probably liven up the wedding even more!"

Jack chuckled. "That's the Best Man's job! I'm already in the right position!"

"And I'll be here to support the Best Man with his duties", Lyla added.

"I'm really glad for the two of you. I hope that our upcoming couple will be able to find the kind of happiness you two share." Ellen said.

"What? No way! I wouldn't wish them something like that!" Jack exclaimed.

Carl and Ellen looked at Jack funny, while Lyla gave a mischievous giggle.

"Ah... Jack? What do you mean by that?" Carl asked curiously.

"Our happiness is special because it is our own" Lyla explained.

"Yeah, that's the truth, I'm afraid" Jack continued, "If Auzzie and his girlfriends truly want to find special happiness, they'll have to make it their own, as well. To emulate certain joy would simply make a meaningless counterfeit, don't you think?"

"Hey, that's pretty cleaver! You kind of sounded like the Doctor there for a minute!" Ellen cried.

"No way... that's definitely vintage Jack" Lyla grinned. She then gave her husband a gentle peck on the cheek, which caused his face to turn as bright as the ripest tomato he's ever grown.

"Ah... ah... t-thank you, Lyla" Jack barely uttered.

"Ah... so you're still a bit bashful around your wife!" Carl grinned.

"It's all so adorable!" Ellen giggled.

Soon, the magical instruments forged from magical notes began playing a special melody. Most of the villagers were in awe by this unfamiliar, yet beautiful sound, while Jack appeared to recognize it.

"This music is so majestic! I wonder where it originated from?" Carl wondered.

Jack pondered for a moment as he took in the music like a gentle breeze.

"Yes... I think I recall this song before. I believe it's a ceremonial arrangement of the Fire Emblem Theme" Jack said.

"Fire Emblem? What is that?" Ellen asked.

"Oh, that? Well... it's a series of wonderfully written epics I used to read when I lived in the city! A dedicated composer loved them so much, that he composed music to make it come alive" Jack explained.

"Really? Now you've got me interested! Can you please tell me more about it?" Ellen begged.

"Is there action? Is there suspense? Is there romance?" Carl frantically inquired.

Jack gave a cheerful grin at their curiosity. "I'll explain it to you another day. For now, we've got a wedding to prepare for."

The four of them quickly got into their appropriate stations as more attendants arrived.

The first to appear was the uneasy pair of Kaite and Joe.

"Listen, the only reason I agreed to come with you was because Carl was already taken. I trust him WAY more than you, but I'm grateful that you're one of the few who actually enjoy my cooking," Katie reluctantly confessed.

"I'll be more than happy to eat your cooking any time, if it'll make you happy!" Jack proclaimed. "But I'm really glad that we could go together like this. If we could meet like this again, it'll make me the happiest man alive, but next time it'll have to be our wedding"

Katie growled in deep frustration.

"Not on your life, stalker." She said rather coldly.

Joe gave a regretful sigh in response, as Katie stared out into the distance with some regrets.

"It's been a year since then, huh? This will only remind of the loss I suffered back then. And now... he's getting married right before my eys! Agh! Why does this have to happen to me! I've already had a year's worth of time to accept it, and it still haunts me. So then... what am I to do, now? I... I guess I can only hope that his bride will be able to make him happy... but... but it's still not fair! I wanted to right up there with the Doctor! Why isn't it me? Awww..."

"Cheer up, Katie! We're here to send them off on their life's journey together! We should at least meet them with a smile!" Joe said with a cheerful grin.

Katie gave a disappointed sigh in response. "That stalker... if only he weren't so crude and obnoxiously oblivious, he'd actually be..."

The girly young woman felt too disoriented to complete here thoughts as they took their places in the ceremony.

The next two to arrive were bridesmaid Maria and a casually dressed young woman.

Maria's companion had blonde hair fixed into ponytail, with some bangs partially covering the forehead. She wore a jean vest over her casual white working shirt, along with jean shorts to match. On her feet were some attractive brown boots.

"Gwen... I'm nervous. I know I should be happy to be Doctor Alex's friend, as well as a bridesmaid in this wedding, but... it's still going to be hard to watch this. I had feelings for him, you know. I was afraid he's the only one who I could really talk to, so he's been really special to me. I'm... glad I could finally be able to talk to Basil and Louis, along with the other regular patrons. Maybe one day that fisherman that occasionally comes in will finally settle down, so we can talk together to. It's a shame we've yet to converse at this point. I'm quite curious about what he sees during the day. Still... Doctor Alex is getting married. He's making a commitment to live and love another, and it'll serve to remind me of an opportunity I've missed with him" Maria explained.

"Commitment? I'm afraid that kind of thing myself!" Gwen laughed. "Personally, I enjoy the freedoms of being independent! No one to tie me down and tell me what I can or can't do. I'm the only one that calls the shots in my life! You should be happy for your freedoms!

" But...if you REALLY want to tie the knot with someone, you seem to have plenty of options" Gwen teased as she nudged Maria on the arm. "You seem REALLY interested in this fisherman you keep talking about. Maybe it's the mystery surrounding him that attracts you, or perhaps it's the 'hard to get' game that's caught your attention! Ha! poor, sweet Maria!"

Maria's face turned red as she turned away bashfully. "G-Gwen! Honestly! Did you really have to bring that up, now? We're here for the Doctor's Wedding, not to poke fun at me!"

Gwen chuckled. "I know, but it's fun to do that anyway!"

As the willful cowgirl had fun at poor Maria's expense, a lone fisherman with a brown ponytail in blue traveler's robes happened to wander into the peak. He miserably witnessed the two young women in conversation, unaware that he was a subject of discussion. After that, he gave a deep sigh.

"I've always been shy around beautiful women... why can't I ever talk to them? Why can't it be as simple as catching fish? Will... I ever have the courage to just go up to a woman and hold even one conversation?" he thought to himself.

Out of respect for the upcoming union, he decided to attend the wedding himself as he avoided making contact with the two young ladies he spotted.

Finally, a young man with huge, brown spiky hair arrived in a nice-looking outfit with a bandana that matched its color.

"So, here I am, right at the wedding by her request," he thought.

He scanned the festive environment and noticed a few of the attendants happily mingling amongst themselves.

"I really hope that she made the right choice. I understand that this is what she really wanted in the end, but she had other options to consider. She may not realize how much of a sacrifice this could be for her, so of course I'm worried. It's amazing… how little we communicated, and yet we understood each other so clearly. Well, the best thing I can do now is be here. I can always be there for her if there are regrets, or if it ends up for the better, I can be happy for her… and with her."

Suddenly, the current background music ceased. The cool and confident young man quickly took his position among the others.

Moments latter, Doctor Alex, in dashing groom attire, was courteously escorted by a jovial Martha. The Doctor looked only slightly nervous, but he somehow kept up a relaxed appearance. After the both of them finally made it to the cliff's peak, sentimental music poured from the magical instrument. Shortly afterwards, two long shadows were cast over the cliff.

Doctor Alex thought back to a special moment that lead up to this event.

"Are you willing to share the rest of your life with me? Are you certain that the both of us will be happy together?" he asked as he proposed to that special someone with the legendary Blue Feather.

"Of course!" a cheerful voice cried in response.

On the right, a young lady was beautifully clothed in a draping white bridal gown. Her prescence radiated purity within her heart and soul. If anything, those who laid eyes on her could easily identify her as princess in a treasured fairy tale. It is a rather intriguing descrption, as underneath the secretive veil was the face of Dia, Flower Bud Village's very own princess.

To the right of her, garbed in a flattering baby blue dress, was her best friend and Maid of Honor, the ever faithful Nurse Gina. The two of them looked estatic as they walked toward the peak of Starry Hill together.

Awaiting them in their finest hour was the Cheerful Martha, the secretly anxious groom, and the master of ceremonies himself, Mayor Theodore. The short and plump political figure felt his usual red suit and tall, black top hat were enough for the occasion.

After the two maidens finally completed their walk, Gina walked right by Jack, who happened to stand fairly close to the bandana man, and stationed herself within their vicinity.

Mayor Theodore cleared his throat before he commenced the ceremony. As his customary speech finally began, Gina and the bandana stranger quietly conversed between each other.

"So, Kurt! You showed up after all! I'm a bit surprised... considering the circumstances. I know the two of you barely talked to each other, but I could tell that the two of you communicated just fine. If I suspicions are correct, Dia might've actually trusted you most of all. I understand that kind of relationship is very sacred to anyone. Are you sure you're okay with this? Do you have any personal regrets about it?" Gina asked in a hushed voice.

"I have none" Kurt softly announced with authority in his voice. "To be honest, I've waited for this day to come for a very long time, for the day that someone worthwhile can finally swear himself to her, so I don't have to worry about her well being any more. I knew how much she loved him for the longest time, and I don't mind. It's not my place to decide who she can or can't love"

"You sounded pretty mature just now. Even more so than usual," Gina addressed. "It expressed the heart and soul you rarely express to anyone"

At that moment, the usually aloof carpenter actually smiled sincerely. "She looks so happy right now. she's actually smiling... very sweetly" he said in awe.

Gina joined in on the cheerful atmosphere. "Indeed. I'm glad to be part of both their lives. With my extensive experience, I know they'll be able to find their own happiness…together"

After going through quite a bit of the traditional wedding context, Mayor Theodore reached one of the most significant requests. "If there is anyone that is opposed to this union, you may speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Many hearts have been broken, and others' potential happiness was sacrificed to reach this point. Despite the suffering, those that were present stood completely silent. They all understood how much this meant to the blessed couple, even the reluctant Katie. But the one that stood most resolute of all was Kurt. Out of everyone, it was he that had the strongest trust in his true friend's decision, despite any doubts he had.

No one spoke out. The ceremony went on.

"Then you may complete your vow with a kiss."

And with that, the blushing Doctor and his loving patient joined together in a loving embrace as they shared their sweet kiss.


End file.
